Modular connectors are known and are used in the industry for telephone and data communication. It is also known to mount these modular connectors onto a printed circuit board that is a constituent part of a computer. The modular connectors are mounted onto one or more of the printed circuit boards of the computer that receive and transmit incoming and outgoing data signals. As the digital speeds of communication increase, there is a commensurate need to protect the integrity of the communication signal as well as shield the rest of the circuitry in the computer from electromagnetic emissions resulting from the signal. One method of providing such integrity is to filter out noise and other undesirable frequency components using analog or digital filtering techniques. While the addition of filtering circuitry provides improved signal integrity, it comes at the cost of additional space and bulk of the filtered connection.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,641 issued to Sakamoto et al. addresses the desirability of filtering a modular connector in a compact format by placing the filtering components internal to the connector itself. Disadvantageously, however, the filter components are permanently fixed to the connector and a receiving printed circuit board substrate to which it is mounted, adding cost to assembly and repair. In addition, the connector disclosed in the '641 patent is a single position. There is a further need for a multiple position data connector that makes efficient use of available space.